Govt plans to 'restructure USC in different phases'

ISLAMABAD:

After the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) employees ended their protest earlier this week at D-Chowk following assurance from the minister for industries and production that the entity was not being shut down, sources have revealed that the government was considering restructuring the organisation in different phases.

In the first phase, utility stores that are non-operational and located in rented buildings in remote areas will be closed.

In the following stage, all such utility stores which are owned by the USC will be privatised.

Sources maintained that due to the payment of dues to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan the USC cannot be completely closed.

They further noted that the government was considering a mechanism for providing subsidies to the USC.

Last month, the USC employees staged a week-long protest at D-Chowk after the federal cabinet announced its intention to shut down the organisation.